Chapter 32

Previous Summary:

"You can't let me go alone...! At least tear off my upper body and take it with you!"

(More or less accurate)

14

I peered through the gaps in the trees at a small clearing a short distance away.

There, a group of about twenty people was taking a break.

About ten of them were boys and girls in school uniforms.

In addition, there were almost the same number of soldiers, clad in full armor similar to the soldiers who had turned into ghouls and attacked us before, taking a break while keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"...Students and otherworldly people."

I had expected to encounter one or the other, but I hadn't anticipated running into them together.

This development was, frankly, a bit unexpected.

However, I wasn't particularly surprised. After all, it was a plausible situation when you think about it.

"It seems there were people who made contact with the inhabitants of this world before us."

"Yeah."

I nodded in response to Lily's words.

What we should focus on now is the position of those soldiers and their relationship with the students, who are also transferrees like me.

This will determine what kind of relationship we can build with them. In that sense, the amount of information we can gather through observation has increased, making this unexpected situation actually advantageous for us.

"Master, I think they are probably the 'Remainders.'"

Lily drew my attention by tugging at the hem of my clothes.

"If they were the 'Explorers' with cheats, they wouldn't look so exhausted."

Indeed, upon closer inspection, though the distance made it hard to see their expressions clearly, many of the students around our age seemed to be slumped over.

"Survivors after the colony's collapse, huh."

These students, like Kato, were in a position where they hadn't yet realized their cheat abilities.

I was surprised that so many had survived. Then, I noticed a slight sense of relief in my chest.

The fact that there were survivors was reassuring.

This was similar to my feelings when I met Kaga.

I don't trust humans, and I don't want to mix with them unless there's a purpose. My priority is clearly with Lily and the others, and I won't show mercy if they become hostile.

However, I can't wish for everyone to die, no matter how apocalyptic it might seem.

It might be a half-hearted stance, but I think this is fine.

Being alive is much better than being dead.

This basic sense of feeling was still alive in me.

It must be important. Because if I lose my human emotions, I might not feel anything for Lily and the others either.

"...But, it's impressive that they survived."

Still, this wasn't the time to indulge in such sentimentality.

Lily seemed to understand my thoughts and adjusted accordingly.

"They probably hid in this forest and lived in hiding until now. They were then protected by those soldiers."

"If that's true, they must have had considerable luck and been led by an excellent leader."

"Maybe they were protected by someone with a cheat. Not all the explorers left in the colony were wiped out, after all."

"Yeah. That's a possibility."

As I continued to observe while talking with Lily, I noticed that a few of the students who still had some energy were talking to each other and to the soldiers. The distance made it impossible to hear their voices, but they didn't seem to be mistreated.

Given this, the danger of making contact with them didn't seem particularly high.

If that's the case... for example, could we ask them to guide us to a settlement?

If it's possible, what do I need to do for that?

Even if I can wait for another opportunity, I don't want to fail.

I really want to know how these students ended up acting with the soldiers of this world. That information would help in negotiating with them.

Alternatively, we could follow them. They won't wander in the forest forever. If we follow them discreetly, we should naturally reach a settlement.

"What do we do, Master?"

"...For now, let's be ready to make contact with them at any time."

We should be prepared for any situation. The preparations were already underway.

I quickly took off the Gerbera-made clothes I was wearing and put on the undergarment Rose had just shown me.

Then, I put on a tracksuit over it.

This was the first part of the preparation.

I intended to hide my ability to lead monsters, and the first issue would be my clothing. If I continued to wear Gerbera-made clothes, other transferrees might suspect their origin.

On the other hand, wearing a tracksuit would be unreliable in an emergency.

That's why I had Rose prepare this undergarment. It could be worn under the tracksuit and provided a certain level of defense.

I also wrapped a long strip of cloth, prepared by Gerbera, around my left arm.

Naturally, this was to conceal the Asarina that had grown on the back of my left hand.

"Gosh, Sir! Sir!"

"I'm sorry to make you uncomfortable."

"Sir!"

The cloth was made from Gerbera's spider silk, so it had a decent level of defense. Additionally, I had a burn scar on my left arm from the Balloon Fox's counterattack, so it wouldn't be unnatural to have a bandage there.

"The sword next."

The 'Pseudo Damascus Steel Sword' might also raise suspicion.

So, I had prepared for that in advance.

What Rose had prepared for me was just the blade part of a normal Magical Puppet's sword, a fake.

In other words, it was a wooden sword disguised as a sheath.

By fixing the 'Pseudo Damascus Steel Sword' blade inside, it would look like a normal Magical Puppet-made wooden sword.

...It sounds simple, but it was only possible because of Rose's skills.

She seemed very moved by my request, as the idea of modifying tools in such a way hadn't occurred to her.

I remember feeling more uncomfortable than ticklish from the praise.

For Rose, making things was a biological function. What might seem like a great invention to a modern person used to books, comics, and games was just a matter of course for her.

Still, the fact that she could take my vague idea and turn it into a practical solution the next day was beyond my capabilities.

In any case, since our usual equipment in the colony was weapons obtained from defeated Magical Puppets, this disguise should prevent any suspicion.

Similar modifications were made to the black shield made by Rose.

I also made sure to dirty my clothes and body to avoid looking too clean.

I put on the backpack I had received from Kaga and moved the ring from the ghoul soldier to the pocket of my tracksuit. That completed my preparations.

Lily and Kato, who were accompanying me, had also finished their preparations, and we returned to observing the humans.

"Still, they're taking a long break."

"They're probably considering the exhausted students."

"Maybe. Well, let's use this time to prepare as much as we can."

We used this time to discuss our next actions.

The situation changed a few minutes after we discovered them.

"Newcomers."

A group of about ten soldiers was approaching from the path.

They were coming from the same 'south' direction we had come from. They were marching on foot but seemed to have the stamina to move quickly despite their plate armor.

They joined the group that was already resting in the clearing. I had thought they were taking an unusually long break, but it seemed they were waiting for the reinforcements to catch up.

"...Huh?"

I noticed one person among the dull-colored heavily armed soldiers wearing a white armor with black band-like patterns.

Several soldiers were greeting him, and he seemed to be giving them instructions. He might be the leader of this group.

As I was observing, I was suddenly startled.

The white helmeted head seemed to look around as if searching for something, and then it seemed to stare directly at us.

However, that couldn't be. They shouldn't be able to see us.

We were at a considerable distance and hiding in the bushes. Even if we could see them, they shouldn't be able to see us...

I made that judgment, but it was quickly overturned.

"Who are you!"

The challenge echoed through the forest, and I felt a stab in my heart as I shuddered.

"They found us...!?"

It seemed absurd, but the leader-like soldier appeared to be certain that we were there. He kept his face toward us and drew his sword from his waist.

"Everyone, be on guard! There are people targeting us!"

The clear voice that pierced the forest was surprisingly young. He might be our age or even younger.

His warning triggered a flurry of activity in the clearing.

The transferrees, like us, screamed and huddled together, and the soldiers formed a protective circle around them.

It seemed they were in a defensive stance, likely because they had many students who would be a hindrance.

Fortunately, they didn't immediately charge at us with their swords, but we couldn't count on this lasting forever.

Lily, who had been monitoring the clearing while clinging to my arm, tightened her grip.

"What do we do, Master?"

"...Since we've been discovered, we have no choice but to come out."

The option of following them discreetly to a settlement was now off the table.

Even if we were to negotiate with them to be led to a settlement, I would have preferred to gather more information first. However, there was no helping it. I had to accept it.

We would have to make a decision at some point, and this was just the time and place for it.

"There are other transferrees among them, so there's a good chance for negotiation."

Of course, I was also prepared for the worst-case scenario where they might attack us.

Even if they were with other transferrees, they might not accept us.

We had discussed with Gerbera that she would intervene if the situation turned bad. Gerbera could easily scatter the enemies, but I planned to run away as soon as the chaos began. I had asked Rose to assist in our escape.

With that in mind, I addressed the companions who would stay behind.

"Rose, Gerbera. It's a short time, but it's goodbye. Follow the plan."

"Understood. I wish you safety."

"Take care of Aya, Aya."

Rose bowed, and Aya, who had been petted by Gerbera, made a snorting sound and slipped into the space under Lily's lifted tracksuit.

With that, we were ready to go.

I checked the situation one last time to make sure nothing was overlooked.

No matter how much we prepared, it was never too much. I couldn't die, and I had to ensure the survival of my companions.

So, I had thought through everything I could and made the necessary preparations. Now, all that was left was to do our best in the moment.

"...Alright, let's go."

—That's what I thought.

However, there's no such thing as perfect preparation. No matter how much you prepare, there will always be something you overlook. It's an inevitable force of nature.

An accident occurred at this moment.

"Kato?"

Rose's suspicious voice came from behind.

I turned reflexively and saw Kato standing there.

She was supposed to come with me, as we had discussed. However, she had stopped after taking one step.

"Ah, e...?"

Why? She didn't know either, it seemed. A puzzled sound escaped her throat.

It quickly turned into a labored breath.

Her face, looking at me, was pale.

...No, that wasn't it.

I immediately realized my mistake.

Kato wasn't looking at me. She